This invention relates to the display of information on computerized devices, such as automotive computers, that have limited display areas. More particularly, the invention relates to automatically adjusting the size of information being displayed on such a computerized device to effectively utilize the available display area.
Computer technology is continually advancing, continually providing new and expanded uses for computers. One such use is in vehicles, such as an automobile or truck. Programmable devices and controllers for controlling various engine and other system functions within a vehicle have been used for a number of years. Additionally, other devices for providing basic feedback to a vehicle operator, such as mileage or number of miles that can be driven before refueling, have also been used for a number of years. However, as computer technology has advanced a new field of use for computers has opened up, allowing more conventional xe2x80x9cdesktop computerxe2x80x9d functionality to be made available to vehicle operators via xe2x80x9cvehicle computersxe2x80x9d.
One problem experienced with computers in general, and more particularly with vehicle computers, is difficulty reading the information displayed. Information, such as program data or instructions, is typically provided to a user via a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor or a liquid crystal diode (LCD) display. To be useful, such information should be easily readable by the user. This is particularly true in a vehicle computer because the user (e.g., driver of the vehicle) may only be able to take brief glances at the display due to the user""s primary focus being on driving the vehicle.
In order to make the information easily readable, it should be displayed in a large size. For example, a vehicle computer may display a street address of a location that the driver is trying to find. However, when a large amount of information is displayed, problems can arise because the computer may not be able to display the information on a single xe2x80x9cscreenxe2x80x9d of the display. For example, if the information is the street address xe2x80x9c12345 Washington Street, Building 5xe2x80x9d, it may be too much information for a single screen using the desired large font size.
One solution to this problem is to display the information using multiple xe2x80x9cscreensxe2x80x9d. For example, the data xe2x80x9c12345 Washingtonxe2x80x9d may be on a first screen and the user can scroll to a second screen to see xe2x80x9cStreet, Building 5xe2x80x9d. However, this can be confusing to the user and requires the user to take attention away from other activities (e.g., his or her driving) to scroll between pages.
Another solution is to display as much of the information as possible and omit the remainder. For example, xe2x80x9c12345 Washingtonxe2x80x9d may be displayed and the remainder omitted. This is problematic because important information (e.g., xe2x80x9cBuilding 5xe2x80x9d) may be omitted that prevents the user from accurately identifying the address. Furthermore, the omitted information may make the remaining information ambiguous. For example, a city may include a xe2x80x9cWashington Streetxe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9cWashington Courtxe2x80x9d. If the word xe2x80x9cstreetxe2x80x9d is dropped from the display, then the driver would not be able to determine if he or she were supposed to be going to Washington Street or Washington Court.
The invention described below addresses these disadvantages, providing a way to improve the display of information on small display surfaces.
The invention concerns the display of information on small display surfaces in a manner that allows the user to easily read the information. The invention automatically adjusts the size of information being displayed by the computer system in order to make the information easily readable, while at the same time leaving most (or all) of the information displayed on a single screen.
According to one aspect of the invention, any one or more of the font point size, the font, the number of lines used, and the caption (a label that describes the data being displayed) used is automatically adjusted. The font point size can be reduced in order to allow more information to be displayed on the single screen. The font itself can be changed to a font that requires less area (e.g., width) to display. The number of lines can be increased in order to allow the information to be displayed over multiple lines rather than a single line. The caption can be changed by partly or completely truncating the caption in order to provide the more useful information at a larger font size.
According to another aspect of the invention, the size of information being displayed is adjusted using the following process. If all of the information cannot be displayed at a desired font size, then an attempt is made to display the information at the desired font size but with a truncated caption. If that attempt is unsuccessful, then an attempt is made to increase the number of lines used to display the information. If there is insufficient space within the display area to increase the number of lines, then an attempt is made to reduce the font point size. This process continues until a size is determined at which the information can be displayed.